Rebuild Stage 2, Donaldson To The Cardinals

I have already written about the Blue Jays entering a rebuild, with Estrada being a good first guy to go. Who's next? Why not Donaldson?

Over a few years of recent success, Donaldson has established an elite name for himself in the major leagues. This is a guy that you think of when people say superstar. This is a guy that everyone thinks of as all-star material. Although he is having a bit of an off year up to this point, his value is still through the roof.

When it comes to valuable players to trade, Donaldson pops up. The former MVP has a career .275 batting average, and since coming to the Blue Jays, he has averaged 39 home runs a year, while maintaining a batting average around the .290's. He is still thought of as that player, despite a BA of .239 on the season, with only 9 home runs through 205 at bats. The 31 year old 3 time all-star brings lots of trade value, and despite a bear market for power hitting, he could still reel in a large return, especially when you consider he could easily bounce back to MVP form later this season, as he is a well known second half performer.

According to Bleacher Report, The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the teams noted to have some interest in trading for Donaldson, so in the following trade proposals, the Cards will be the Jays trade partners.

The after making a large splash in the off season by signing Dexter Fowler, the Cardinals were expected to contend for the division title with the Cubs again. However, the Cardinals, along with every team in the NL Central but the Brewers, have performed under expectations. Currently, the Cardinals sit at 48-51, only 4 games out of the division lead. Adding someone like Donaldson to a weak and struggling lineup like theirs could be a huge boost, maybe even enough to launch them forward into the weak divisions lead. After all, who knows, at this point the Reds could still come out of nowhere and take it!

Now, would Josh Donaldson fit with the Cardinals? I don't think I really have to answer that question. Currently, the Cardinals have struggled trying to find everyday starting infielders, forcing them to start Gyorko (having a good season so far) at third, meaning they have to stick Kolten Wong at second (only 1 home run) at second, and Paul DeJong at shortstop (rookie on a contending team). Donaldson would be a great fit here.

Now on to the deal. What do the Jays need in return from the Cardinals? Why don't we add a starting pitcher into the mix of things, to ensure a strong rotation for the future Jays. Let's throw MLB ready SP Luke Weaver into this, MLB.com's 64th overall prospect on their top 100 list. A future mix of Sanchez, Stroman, and Weaver would look awfully good. But wait, we aren't done yet. To add on to this deal, the Jays would also want another prospect (perhaps not as bright as Weaver), and an MLB ready player, possibly an outfield player, or utility man.

For the second prospect, I've looked into SS Edmundo Sosa, the teams 12th overall prospect on their top 30 list. He is an attractive young option (19) who seems to look like an ideal replacement for Tulowitzki when he retires, or leaves the team. Despite some inconsistencies (which would likely be the priority for improvement), Sosa is still enough of a prospect for the Jays to target, as he is a fantastic contact hitter.

Now, for the last part of the deal. Finally, it would be nice for the Blue Jays to get a guy that could be an above average bench player, or a strong utility man. The Jays currently need an outfield option, to make up for Bautista being a FA, and the hole in LF (due to Pearce's inconsistencies, and aging). We could also pursue a middle infield option, as Travis and Tulo just can't stay healthy long enough for us to start evaluating our options.

After a careful evaluation, a 27 year old utility infielder name Greg Garcia seems to be the ideal option. Garcia is a bench player who is just entering his prime. Garcia isn't good enough to make this deal fall through (as a heavy load of prospects were asked for in return), but it definitely makes this a considerable, and possible deal for the Jays to look into.

To wrap things up, lets summarize quick:

Cardinals Receive:

Josh Donaldson - A multi time all-star at a position in need for a team who want to contend, in a division where it is easily possible, who needs another power source and leader.

Jays Receive:

Luke Weaver - A top pitching prospect who is almost MLB ready, and could be a valuable contribution towards a very strong rotation one day.

Edmundo Sosa - A young, and intriguing SS prospect who could look to take over Tulo's spot, or 2B to form a dynamic future duo with Bo Bichette.

Greg Garcia - Middle infield bench player, to have extreme depth, and more options for when Tulo and Travis go down with injuries.

To finish things off, this deal is highly beneficial for both teams, as they both change their seasons around, the Cardinals to contend, and the Blue Jays to rebuild.